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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28007829">Unwelcome Guests</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/danceswithhamsters01/pseuds/danceswithhamsters01'>danceswithhamsters01</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Reddit Prompts 2: Because the old one is quite full [15]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Dragon Age: Origins</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Dragon Age: Origins Quest - The Arl of Redcliffe, Gen, Grey Wardens, One Shot, POV Alistair, Redcliffe (Dragon Age), Undead</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 20:15:23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,254</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28007829</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/danceswithhamsters01/pseuds/danceswithhamsters01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Based on a prompt from r/dragonage.</p>
<p>Challenge: Write from the POV of a companion or NPC found in Origins/Awakening. <br/>Prompt 2: Redcliffe Those quiet unnerving moments right before the attack starts.</p>
<p>The two remaining Grey Wardens in Ferelden have found their way to Redcliffe Village, only to find the place under siege by a dark presence. Alistair's thoughts after rallying the citizens and preparing to meet their mysterious foes.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Alistair &amp; Warden (Dragon Age)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Reddit Prompts 2: Because the old one is quite full [15]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1918846</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Unwelcome Guests</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The sun was sinking down below the horizon. Along with the light, the retreating fiery orb was taking what little sense of ease there was to be had with it. He swallowed hard and squeezed the grip of the sword all the more tightly. A silent prayer echoed in his mind. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Maker, I know you’re known for being silent, but please watch over us. Please.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Alistair spared a brief glance to his left. Sevarra was scanning their surroundings while thoughtlessly squeezing the haft of her staff, mouth set in a small frown. It gave him the impression of a bird of prey waiting for a field mouse to make a noise before swooping down on it. A look to his right showed Leliana murmuring a silent prayer of her own while readying her bow. Sevarra’s mabari was pacing two or three steps ahead of him, softly growling with his hackles raised. Something was on its way.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>All things considered, this was most decidedly not the way he wanted things to be when he finally got to visit his old home of Redcliffe. While it’d been good to find uncle Teagan alive and well – the bann’d been amazed to see him alive; he’d been one of the survivors of Ostagar himself – the circumstances couldn’t have been worse. If the stories of the bann and everyone in the village were to be believed, monsters poured out of the castle every night and assaulted the townsfolk. Alistair highly doubted that the entire community got together simply to make up a story about being attacked to share for fun. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Just what we need during a blight, monsters raiding towns. As if things weren’t bad enough. </span>
  </em>
  <span>None of it carried the stench of the blight, as far as he could tell, but the residents of Redcliffe needed aid all the same.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The rustling of armor reminded him that at least he and his companions weren’t alone in their efforts. Ser Perth and several other knights stood waiting behind him, weapons held at the ready. A pair of ruffians stood off to the side, nervously looking side to side while gripping their weapons. Dwyn’s ‘employees,’ that pair. The Warden thought the term a bit too generously applied, but he wasn’t in any position to complain. Help was help, even if his fellow Warden had to wave coin under the dwarf’s nose to see things her way. Granted, that’d been downright polite compared to how she ‘convinced’ Lloyd, the local bartender, to take up arms to help defend the village. Alistair wasn’t sure if Sevarra really knew how to use that dagger she scavenged back in Lothering, but she certainly put on a good enough show to scare the craven man. In any event, he was glad that he seemed to be on the mage’s good side. Not that she was anywhere near as difficult of a person as Morrigan, but mages always had the potential to be unpredictable.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A faint trickle of energy at the edge of his senses pulled him from his thoughts. The mage was murmuring and making odd gestures before she pointed in the direction of the hastily constructed barricades. The ground just beyond it flashed with a dull light before vanishing. Some manner of trap spell, if he had to guess. He may not have completed his templar training, but he could still recognize the sensation of magic being woven near him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Fang, the mabari, stilled and let forth a flurry of barks. Whatever it was, it was incredibly near now. Alistair tensed himself up behind his shield. He wasn’t sure if he heard moaning or if his mind was playing tricks on him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Leliana’s soft voice came a heartbeat before the whizzing of the arrow she unleashed. “The righteous stand before the darkness and the Maker shall guide their hand.” An angered groan followed the sound of the arrowhead striking flesh.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“NOW!” Sevarra called out, voice sounding bigger than her slight frame. Without a moment’s hesitation, she ran to the front of the party and wove her hands together.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Oh, Maker’s breath, </span>
  </em>
  <span>he swore to himself silently. </span>
  <em>
    <span>You’re the most fragile one, why are you being so careless?!</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Just as he finished that thought, a blast of ice shot out from her hands, freezing anything unfortunate enough to be in her line of fire. Several of those somethings looked like… the undead? </span>
  <em>
    <span>Great, just great, </span>
  </em>
  <span>he grumbled to himself as he surged forward shield-first to intercept a not-frozen enemy before it could smash the careless mage. He mowed down one shambling horror and plunged his blade into its head once it hit the ground. From the corner of his eye, he could see one of the undead caught in the trap the mage had woven minutes before. The pair of thugs had taken to smacking the thing with their mauls. He had half a moment to snort. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Of course, they’d go for the one least able to strike back.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The knights rumbled forward, making quick work of the remaining enemies. Before Alistair could say anything, the mage used the butt of her staff to smack one shambler in the face, forcing it back a couple of paces. She quickly trotted back a few steps and began a guttural chant that quickly brought crackles of energy to her fingertips. A booming rumble that he felt in his bones and a flash of light that surged past him, making his hair stand on end for a moment, announced the use of lightning magic. Moments later, the smell of charred flesh assaulted his nose. The shambler she’d whacked lay on the ground, now a pile of smoking rubbish.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Behind you!” she called out. Before he could react, he heard barking and snarling. Fang pounced the enemy sneaking up on him and knocked it from its feet.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Good dog!” he quickly said before hacking off one of the undead creature’s arms, both literally and figuratively disarming it. After dispatching his enemy, he panted for breath and looked up. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Was that all of them?</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“More are coming! Over the hill!” Leliana called out.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Arrows flew past the barricade as the Sister began firing on the new wave of enemies shuffling toward them. The ground just past the barricade flashed as Sevarra cast another glyph. A moment later, the ground beneath his feet shimmered with a brief pink light.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What was that?” he asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Protective spell,” she answered. “Makes you harder to hit if you’re on or near the glyph.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The rest of the wave crashed over them, making it near-impossible to have a conversation. Another wave followed the demise of that one, and then one more after that. After the fourth wave of monsters lay dead – or was it re-dead? Or made un-undead? Rendered dead again? Defeated? Yes, that word would do. – Tomas came running up from the village proper below.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“The monsters are attacking from the lake! They’re attacking the barricades! We need help!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sevarra answered before he could. “Ser Perth! You and your men stay here and guard the path!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The knight brought a fist to his chest. “Aye, m’lady.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Come on, we need to hurry!” Tomas shouted. Without looking over his shoulder, he started running down the path from which he’d come. Sevarra whistled for her hound and followed quickly on Tomas’ heels. Leliana was half a step behind them.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Maker, give us strength, </span>
  </em>
  <span>Alistair thought as he took a breath and jogged after his companions. It would seem that the night’s excitement was only just beginning. </span>
</p>
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